By the Backseat View
Savannah offers an ideal setting for a refined Southern weekend, featuring historic architecture and memorable culinary experiences that will be cherished throughout the year. Begin your weekend by exploring some of the most picturesque streets in America, with Spanish moss hanging from the trees while browsing through upscale boutiques.
The cobblestone streets guide you to confectionery shops and the century-old ice cream soda establishment, Leopold’s. If it’s pirates you came for, they are down by River Street at the oldest home in Georgia, at The Pirates’ House. With a town as old as Savannah, it’s no surprise the ghosts come out at night, so end your night on a Ghost Tour. Savannah exemplifies Southern hospitality and charm, making it an ideal destination for a girls’ trip or a romantic weekend getaway. Come on, let’s open the Savannah Georgia, Weekend Guide.
Savannah Weekend Itinerary
The Savannah Georgia Weekend Guide
The Savannah Historic District is the main focus of your visit, and it’s smaller than you think. A weekend visit is best. However, you can easily hit the highlights in four hours of walking if you are traveling through. I have both one-day and three-day itineraries. Additionally, take the time to stroll the streets and read the historical markers on buildings to fully appreciate the history during your relaxing weekend.
Things to do in Savannah Georgia
My top recommendation for Savannah is to invest in the culinary experiences, as they are exceptional. Since dining is at the next level, let’s begin with a discussion of the restaurants. Vacations are made for memorable events that you take out and savor for the rest of your life. These restaurants are in the historic district, where you walk up and park elsewhere. Make dining reservations as soon as you plan to visit Savannah.
Savannah food scene
The Olde Pink House
The 18th-century home, The Olde Pink House, is iconic, so snag that reservation and dress up to celebrate life. The Olde Pink House is the undisputed “Best Restaurant in Savannah.” If you are on a budget, go to lunch and order a $20 burger or fish tacos. The average cost is $50 to $100 per person for the amazing ambiance and food. When you see the perfect home, you will be glad you came. The people out front will be wishing they had made reservations six weeks out. Make sure to have pecan pie for dessert.
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room
Mrs. Wilkes is open for lunch on Jones Street, one of the most beautiful streets in America. The antebellum mansions lining the cobblestone street with moss-covered trees make a picturesque place to wander. The meals are served in family-style dining, so the table is filled with people you don’t know. When you arrive, the table is already set. It features 12 Southern classics like fried chicken, cheesy grits, collards, and creamed corn. The table eats together and leaves together, so this is not a chatting, lingering type of lunch. This has been everyone’s favorite since 1943, so people start lining up at 9:30 am for 11 am lunch. It’s always an hour or two wait, no reservations. While your friend holds your place in line, take a walk through the shop next door. It’s called One Fish, Two Fish, and it’s one of my favorite stores. Mrs. Wilkes is $35 per person and cash only.
Vic’s on the River
Vic’s is in a beautiful old cotton warehouse on River Street with an elegant ambiance and spectacular views. Vic’s menu serves classic Southern cooking like fried chicken, pecan fried flounder, and crab beignets. Reservations are needed for dinner but you can usually stop by for lunch.
The Pirate’s House
This Pirate’s House has a history as the oldest home in Georgia. The Herb House is a part of the restaurant. It’s just plain fun to learn about the pirates. There’s a buffet with all the southern staples from fried chicken to collard greens. We had several types of fish off the menu, which were also delicious. Reservations are recommended. Savannah has limited parking, and this place has it in spades. It’s a great place to park your car near River Street and walk the town.
Alligator Soul
Alligator Soul is an elegant wild game with upscale modern presentation type of restaurant. The Wild Game Specialty can include alligator, kangaroo, antelope, and elk. The regular menu includes bison, duck, shrimp and their famous Banana Cheesecake for dessert. You guessed it, grab a reservation early.
More Savannah Restaurants
Savannah has dozens of highly rated luxury restaurants, but I’m reviewing the top five most popular. This area is famous for low country boils, crab legs, shrimp & grits, and fried chicken. There’s not as much “fresh fish of the day.”
- For a few more delicious meals, try
- The Fitzroy (luxury dinner)
- B. Matthew’s Eatery open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Two Cracked Eggs Café (breakfast & lunch),
- Cotton & Rye (luxury dinner)
- Lady & Sons (Paula Deen’s )
- Treylor Park (casual fun)
- Pizzeria Vittoria Napoletana
Sweets on Broughton & River Street
Leopold’s
Leopold’s is a famous ice cream shop, over 100 years old, on Broughton Street, offering several original and unique flavors. Everyone in town shows up in the afternoon, so try to grab ice cream before 2 p.m. to avoid the long line. While there are several ice cream stores nearby, this is the only one people talk about. Try the honey, pecan, rum, bourbon-infused, and tutti-frutti original flavors, or have an old-fashioned ice cream soda.
While the Peach Cobbler Factory is a chain, the cobblers, banana pudding, cookies, and cinnamon rolls are really great.
Byrd Cookie Company has over 100 years of history making the best cookies.
River Street Sweets is a candy store with everything from pralines, pecan pie, bundt cakes, and award-winning fudge.
Savannah’s Candy Kitchen has a wide variety of candy, popcorn, ice cream, pralines, and fudge.
Well, now you understand why we are planning our day around food. Savannah offers many activities, with River Street being an excellent starting point. If I had only one day in Savannah, this would be my itinerary with reservations at a couple of restaurants already mentioned.
One Day of the Savannah weekend Itinerary
River Street Savannah
Walking River Street twice should allow you to see everything. Walk the side near the water with the statues, markets, and vendors, then cross the street and hit the traditional stores. Behind River Street is Factor’s Walk, like an alley, with vaults and bridges.
River Street has shops like Southern Christmas, The Cinnamon Bear Country Store, and all the sweet shops. The River Street Marketplace is an open-air market with over 70 shops, featuring local and international goods. Weekends can have a hundred vendors set up in tents near the water. While roaming the riverfront, you will see several historical statues.
Savannah Historic District
River Street is where you embark on a riverboat cruise for an afternoon sail.
We zig-zagged our way down the front of River Street, hitting the most interesting stores. We cut up at the City Hall, you can’t miss the gold dome roof, to explore Factors Walk.
Factor’s Walk
Factor’s Walk interests me more than the shops. Depending on the area, Factor’s Walk is two to three levels. The cobblestone streets, ancient walls covered in vines, bridges overhead, and the Cluskey Vaults. What exactly were these vaults used for in 1840? As with any town, I wouldn’t be walking around Savannah by myself at night due to crime.
If interested, the Stairs of Death lead from River Street to Factor’s Walk between River Street and Williamson Street below Jere’s Antiques sign.
After exploring the River Street area, walk a few blocks to the Olde Pink House and then to Broughton Street.
Make sure to wear flat, comfortable shoes so you don’t break an ankle on the cobblestone streets.
The Paris Market is the most unique shop, and everyone visits it. Broughton Street is the main street and is filled with boutiques.
Leopold’s Ice Cream is my destination. After ice cream, turn around, it’s the end of the line. Next, walk the few blocks to Jones Street. Admire the mansions first. Then see the famous Mercer-Williams House from the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” You will pass a dozen town squares on your walk, so plan to read the history and wander the streets. For instance, the Forrest Gump bench scenes were filmed in Chippewa Square, but the bench is in a museum. The town squares give the town a peaceful feeling.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a place of serenity and breathtaking beauty. Its ancient architecture, stained-glass windows, and historical significance are free to appreciate.
Forsyth Park
Finally, the walk ends in Forsyth Park.
Forsyth Park’s 30-acre grounds encompass a range of amenities. It features the renowned fountain, installed in 1858, playgrounds, splash pads, basketball courts, and a fragrance garden. This location is ideal for bringing a book and enjoying a reading experience beneath the trees.
Tip: Bull Street runs from City Hall on River Street to Forsyth Park for ten blocks and was named one of America’s Top 10 Great Streets.
Tip: The Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the park’s south end.
Savannah Ghost Tours
I would finish off this day with dinner and a ghost tour. Several companies offer ghost tours, like Dead of Night Tours, for ages 16 and up from 9 to 11 p.m. It’s not that scary, but it’s fascinating. Haunted Ghost Tours given by the Old Sorrel Weed House have been featured on several Ghost Adventures, HGTV, and Travel Channel shows.
If you can’t easily walk, the Hop-on, Hop-off trolley costs around $50 a day, so you can easily see the city without exhausting yourself. You pull into their lot when you enter the town to park for the day.
Day 2 of the Savannah weekend Itinerary
On my second day in Savannah, I’m touring homes and museums (open at 10 a.m.), taking an afternoon riverboat ride, and heading to my dinner reservations. Bonaventure Cemetery opens at 8 am for early risers. While waiting for sites to open, drive the two miles from the historic district to explore the Starland District Murals (12 W 41st Street) by local artists for perfect Savannah selfies.
If you visit the end of April and May, the jasmine is blooming and the entire town smells heavenly!
Savannah Historic Attractions
The Owen-Thomas House is the top recommendation due to its architectural detail and opulence. The hour-long tour gives a view of both the wealthy and enslaved people’s daily lives. This admission includes the Telfair Museums and the Jepson Center for the Arts for around $30 a person, all within walking distance. The Telfair Academy is a mansion built in the 1800s and takes 15-30 minutes to walk through.
Juliette Gordon Low
Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum tells the life story of the Girl Scout founder. The home is Savannah’s first registered National Historic Landmark. It costs around $15 to visit.
Mercer Williams House Museum offers guided tours of the historic mansion featured in the “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” The mansion has five centuries of impressive artwork and antiques. No photos are allowed. The $14 tours, which last 30 minutes, are conducted on the bottom level due to a resident living on the top floor.
Old Sorrel Weed House
The Old Sorrel Weed House Museum & Tours is officially recognized as a Georgia State Landmark. The museum primarily explores the Civil War era and supernatural phenomena. The Historic Savannah Tours and Haunted Ghost Tours operate out of the museum.
Other Things to do in Savannah:
- Old Fort Jackson
- American Prohibition Museum
- Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
- Georgia State Railroad Museum
- Savannah History Museum
Savannah River Boat Cruise
After wrapping up a few historic stops, it’s time for lunch and a Savannah River Boat Cruise on the Georgia Queen Steamboat. The boats depart River Street at different times depending on the season, but they usually depart daily at 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. for a sunset cruise. The restaurants are so excellent that I don’t recommend eating on the boat. The cruise lasts 90 minutes and costs around $40 a person. The views include Old Fort Jackson, Savannah’s historic riverfront, and skyline.
Savannah Bananas
If they are in town, watch the famous Savannah Bananas, a exhibition baseball team. Tickets are purchased directly from Fans First Tickets in a lottery system, with prices ranging from $35 to $125. The tickets are usually resold at a higher price. This is the most fun you will ever have at a baseball game. The Savannah Bananas are only 4 miles from the historic district.
Another option is drive 30 minutes to Savannah’s Beach, Tybee Island, for sunset. The best spots for sunset on Tybee are Back River Beach, Fisherman’s Walk Pier, or North Beach. If you enjoy outdoor dining under moss-draped trees, The Crab Shack on Tybee is a fantastic low country boil and FUN!
3rd Day of the Savannah weekend Itinerary
For a complete third-day itinerary, consider spending time on Tybee Island, Jekyll Island (Driftwood Beach & mansions), or St. Simons Island (tree spirits). Other options include Skidaway Island State Park and Savannah’s Tanger Outlets. Savannah also has several spas for a day of relaxation.
If you leave on a Sunday, plan carefully with many places closed or have limited hours like 12-5 pm.
Bonaventure Cemetery
The first stop on the half-day itinerary is Bonaventure Cemetery, a world-famous 150-year-old peaceful cemetery. It is free, open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and plan to spend an hour or two. The cemetery is large, so buy a map or take a photo. There are guided golf cart tours to ensure you find Gracie, one of the most famous tombstones, and tell you stories.
Wormsloe
The next stop is Wormsloe Historic Site, six miles from the cemetery. The trees are the real show-stoppers, leading to the oldest standing structure in Savannah, the ruins of Wormsloe. You can visit the museum and walk along the trails. The site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and costs around $12.
If you are headed home, it’s time to grab lunch and get on the road. You are seven miles from Skidaway Island State Park, if you have more time to explore the marshland.
Bogey’s Mini Golf is outside of historic Savannah, but we can’t have a vacation without a friendly mini-golf game.
Lastly, a few hotel recommendations.
Where to stay in Savannah?
- The main tip is to stay in the magical historic district and walk to everything.
- Savannah has breathtakingly gorgeous historic hotels.
- Luxury begins with the famous hotels The Gastonian (B&B) and Hotel Bardo.
- Mid-range has the Marshall House with several “Best of Savannah” awards and Andaz Savannah (boutique luxury by Hyatt).
- However, the chains are here with Homewood Suites by Hilton on River Street for a perfect location.
- Riverfront Hotels include the River Street Inn, The Alida, Hilton Homewood Suites, and JW Marriott Kessler Plant Riverside.
- Campers can try Skidaway Island State Park or River’s End Campground on Tybee Island.
- It wasn’t our first trip, so we explored Savannah and Tybee. I’m a beach girl, so if there’s a beach within 20 minutes, I’m headed there. I stayed near Back Beach in a VRBO house on Tybee Island.
Bye, Savannah!
Well, it’s been a fantastic weekend, and I know the food and ice cream were worth the trip! Thank you so much for reading my Savannah, Georgia Weekend Travel Guide! Check out Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Tybee Island for other nearby guides.
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